Books by "William N. Goetzmann"
6 books found
The American West evokes powerful imagery—warriors on horseback, cowboys in saloons, and pioneers in wagons heading westward. It symbolizes freedom, reinvention, and the American Dream. However, this idealized image obscures the complex, often violent history of the West, which is as unjust as it is inspiring. Historians debate the boundaries of the American West, but it's clear that it’s a dynamic concept—both a place and an idea, evolving over time. For three centuries, the frontier and western history overlapped until the frontier disappeared in 1890. Early narratives celebrated explorers, settlers, and entrepreneurs who developed the West, portraying them as heroic figures. However, modern historians criticize this "triumphant" view, highlighting the exploitation, racism, and ecological damage caused by Western expansion. They focus on marginalized groups—racial minorities, women, and workers—while critiquing the often-overlooked injustices faced by Indigenous peoples and others. This revisionist perspective emphasizes the darker aspects of Western history, challenging previous glorifications of development and heroism. The Epic History of the American West bridges traditional and revisionist views, exploring the region’s complex legacy, from violent struggles to ongoing cultural and ideological conflicts. It reflects the West’s enduring significance, blending history and mythology to reveal its multifaceted nature.
"[A] magnificent history of money and finance."—New York Times Book Review "Convincingly makes the case that finance is a change-maker of change-makers."—Financial Times In the aftermath of recent financial crises, it's easy to see finance as a wrecking ball: something that destroys fortunes and jobs, and undermines governments and banks. In Money Changes Everything, leading financial historian William Goetzmann argues the exact opposite—that the development of finance has made the growth of civilizations possible. Goetzmann explains that finance is a time machine, a technology that allows us to move value forward and backward through time; and that this innovation has changed the very way we think about and plan for the future. He shows how finance was present at key moments in history: driving the invention of writing in ancient Mesopotamia, spurring the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome to become great empires, determining the rise and fall of dynasties in imperial China, and underwriting the trade expeditions that led Europeans to the New World. He also demonstrates how the apparatus we associate with a modern economy—stock markets, lines of credit, complex financial products, and international trade—were repeatedly developed, forgotten, and reinvented over the course of human history. Exploring the critical role of finance over the millennia, and around the world, Goetzmann details how wondrous financial technologies and institutions—money, bonds, banks, corporations, and more—have helped urban centers to expand and cultures to flourish. And it's not done reshaping our lives, as Goetzmann considers the challenges we face in the future, such as how to use the power of finance to care for an aging and expanding population. Money Changes Everything presents a fascinating look into the way that finance has steered the course of history.
Modern Portfolio Theory and Investment Analysis
by Edwin J. Elton, Martin J. Gruber, Stephen J. Brown, William N. Goetzmann
2013 · Wiley Global Education
An excellent resource for investors, Modern Portfolio Theory and Investment Analysis, 9th Edition examines the characteristics and analysis of individual securities as well as the theory and practice of optimally combining securities into portfolios. A chapter on behavioral finance is included, aimed to explore the nature of individual decision making. A chapter on forecasting expected returns, a key input to portfolio management, is also included. In addition, investors will find material on value at risk and the use of simulation to enhance their understanding of the field.
Fundamentals of Investments
by Gordon J. Alexander, William F. Sharpe, Jeffery V. Bailey
2001 · Pearson Educación
This introduction provides a clear framework for understanding and analyzing securities, and covers the major institutional features and theories of investing. While the book presents a thorough discussion of investments, the authors keep the material practical, relevant, and easy to understand. The latest developments in investments are brought to life through the use of tables, graphs, and illustrations that incorporate current market information and academic research. An international content deals directly with international securities and securities markets throughout the book--along with currency management and interest rate parity. Up-to-date "Money Matters" articles reflect the latest real-world developments and are provided throughout each chapter to give readers a sense of how practitioners deal with various investment issues and use techniques. Other coverage includes an array of investment tools--presented through discussions on stocks, bonds, and other securities such as options and futures. A guide to reviewing, forecasting, and monitoring--for individuals preparing to make investments or take the CFA exam.
Modern political culture features a deep-seated faith in the power of numbers. But quantitative evidence has not always been revered, as William Deringer shows. After the 1688 Revolution, as Britons learned to fight by the numbers, their enthusiasm for figures arose not from efforts to find objective truths but from the turmoil of politics itself.
Discovered Lands, Invented Pasts
by Jules David Prown, Buffalo Bill Historical Center, William Cronon, Yale University. Art Gallery, Nancy K. Anderson, Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, Susan Prendergast Schoelwer
1992 · Yale University Press
A common theme of western American art is the transformation of the land through European-American exploration and resettlement. In this book, the authors look at western American art of the past three centuries, re-evaluating it from the perspectives of history, art history and American studies.